Quoting that article - >> "Russia has a 6,000-member cyber-brigade who are capable of closing down U.S. stock exchanges and banks. Russia would not use these tactics casually, but would use them if U.S. economic pressure becomes too severe". <<
Rickards has been promoting this idea for some time - that Russia has a huge cyber warfare ability that is a big threat and we should watch out. But this sounded fishy to me when I first heard Rickards mention it, and it still does because it fits in so perfectly with the Deep State's ongoing demonization of Russia strategy.
So it looks like a good example of Rickards functioning for the Deep State and their agenda, painting Russia as a dangerous boogeyman and preparing the public to blame any/all evil that happens on Russia.
Meanwhile what's been happening with Julian Assange and Wikileaks is also reinforcing the idea that Putin and Russia are evil schemers trying to influence the US election by leaking hacked emails, etc. And at the same time they link the evil Donald Trump to the bad old Russians.
As we know, Assange/Wikileaks clearly works for the Western intelligence community as a 'limited hangout operation' - ie leaking info that ultimately serves to advance a Deep State agenda, while pretending to be anti-Deep State. Their leaks made possible the Arab Spring, and now the goal is the demonization of Russia and also the linking of Trump to the Russians.